8.4%
of mothers are smokers at the time of delivery
Pregnancy and birth
Supporting women to be as healthy as they can during pregnancy (and before conception) and during the post-natal period is important for pregnancy outcomes and the lifelong health of their children. This includes the importance of
- taking vitamin D and folic acid supplements
- increasing the uptake of vaccinations offered during pregnancy to protect the health of mothers and their babies
- supporting pregnant women who smoke to give up and stay smoke free during their pregnancy and afterwards
- promoting the importance of a healthy balanced diet
- not drinking alcohol during pregnancy
- access to contraception after having a baby.
Read more on the government guidance on Health matters: reproductive health and pregnancy planning [external link]
Primary care, maternity services and health visitors play a crucial role during this important time. Delivery of the Best Start in Life plan will help to drive an improvement in pregnancy and maternal outcomes.
55.6%
of new mothers start breastfeeding
46.7%
of new mothers continue to breastfeed at 6 - 8 weeks
Access rate to specialist perinatal mental health services of 75 per 1,000 females having a delivery
Access to specialist support to stop smoking is available across Darlington. This includes for young people, adults and pregnant women and their partners. The levels of smoking during pregnancy, which is measured as the percentage of women who are smokers when they have their baby, continues to reduce in Darlington. We must remain focused in our efforts to reduce this even further.
The percentage of mothers smoking at the time of delivery continues to decrease, reaching a low of 8.4% in Darlington. This is higher than the North East average (7.9%) and the England average (6.1%).
This link provides further information and advice about smoking during smoking during pregnancy [external link]. The Darlington Stop Smoking Service can provide support to quit.
Breastfeeding is widely recognised as the ideal food for babies. It provides protection from illness and infection as well as reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Breastfeeding also offers long term health benefits to both mother and baby.
There has been a strong focus on supporting breastfeeding in Darlington in recent years. This includes a ‘Year of Breastfeeding’ campaign and all health visitors are now fully trained in infant feeding. The borough also benefits from a Specialist Infant Feeding Team as part of the Growing Healthy Service. They offer clinics, breastfeeding support groups and group sessions on topics such as colostrum harvesting and weaning.
The maternity services and 0-19 service in Darlington both have UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative accreditation [external link]. This ensures high standards of breastfeeding support for mothers and babies.
Darlington’s 0-19 service, Growing Healthy, is provided by Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust. It has achieved the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Gold standard. This recognises the continued commitment, improvements to infant feeding and relationship building which is evident in Darlington.
The Breastfeeding Friendly Scheme supports businesses to create a welcoming environment for breastfeeding mothers and their families to feel more confident feeding in public. Further information about the Breastfeeding Friendly scheme, participating venues and how to get involved can be found at Breastfeeding Friendly Scheme Darlington [external link]
Perinatal mental health (PMH) problems are those which occur during pregnancy, or in the first year following the birth of a child. Mental health issues, if left untreated, can have significant and long-lasting effects for the woman, child and the wider family. It is estimated that up to 27% of new and expectant mothers are affected. National investment in support for PMH [external link] has increased the availability of specialist PMH community services across England, including for up to 24 months after birth.
Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust provide the community perinatal mental health service for Darlington. Further information can be found at Perinatal mental health service in Darlington [external link]
For more information read our full annual report